Tuesday, 17 January 2017

University can be a tough time for many young adults. For me, it was so tough that I left the University of St. Andrews after one year and took a year out to regather my jumbled thoughts. Now in my third year of a Geography degree at the University of Glasgow, I am more comfortable with being away, learning to be independent and managing the increasing deadlines most of the time. Most being the operative word. There are times at university when all we need is a wee pick me up - a phone call from the parents, a coffee with an old friend, or a wee care package coming through the door.

This is where UniBox comes in. Every month, they send out care packages to students around the UK, taking away the hassle of having to choose items to send and remembering to send it. Even if you are ordering it for yourself, it feels so nice to get a parcel all made up for you to open like a present encouraging you to power through coursework. The boxes are filled with items that every student will love (mine came with tea and chocolate this month, what more could I ask for?). All you have to do is sign up on their website and pick a subscription and they do all the hard work for you! There are two types of subscription to go for:

Monthly Subscription: This can be cancelled anytime before the end of the month (i.e cancel by the 30th January if you do not want a February box).

Pre-paid Subsciption: Chose from either 3-month or 6-month. These work out cheaper overall than the monthly subscription, but you cannot cancel as you can with the monthly. I received a January box to review, watch the unboxing below to see what treats I got!

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My favourite treats this month:

Tea. Anyone who knows me at all will know that I love tea. Black tea, green tea, herbal tea and....unusual tea (which popcorn definitely falls into the category of). Teapigs is a great company and a cuppa is the perfect way to chill out after a long day at uni. Also a great ice breaker with your new flatmates - who needs popcorn at a movie night when you can have popcorn tea! Now I love chocolate as much as the next person but I can be a wee bit fussy when it comes to the cocoa percentage (try not to judge me). This chocolate however beats the >70% rule by a whole 2%. Also it has honeycomb in it which is an instant bonus and is as beautiful as the Welsh accents of the country it is from. A company I will be keeping an eye out for in the future.

If you have been following my blog from the start (hello!) then you may remember that I made apple crisps as a way to save money. However tasty and money saving the DIY version may be, sometimes it's so much easier to have a bag of them for taking to uni. It can be really hard to satisfy snacking cravings when out and about, especially when surrounded by the vending machines on campus, so I'm really looking forward to having these as a go to healthy snack between lectures.

Would you like to win a February box for you or a student in your life? It will be a whole new box full of mystery treats for them to enjoy. Enter via the Gleam app below!

Can't wait? Get 15% off your first order using the code UNIBOXLORNA - Good luck!

Sunday, 15 January 2017

January is a time of year when we are surrounded by magazines and adverts encouraging us to lose the weight we gained over Christmas and guilting us into splashing out on expensive gym memberships and fad juice diets that leave us hangry and skint. This year, I am setting a New Years Resolution intended to last longer than a diet and teach me more than a self-help book that ends up dusty on the shelf. Two weeks ago I embarked on a challenge that may seem easy to some and impossible to others – I'm going make up free for the month of January. For me, it lies somewhere between the two - I love a wee make up free day, but the thought of going out clubbing or to a fancy meal without it isn't something I'm comfortable with. I am doing this both to show that there is nothing wrong with embracing the natural us, and to raise money for the incredible eating disorders charity B-eat. To read more about my recovery and to donate, please visit my just giving page <here>.Two and a half years ago, I was admitted to a general mixed psychiatric ward in which I would stay for 5 months and 5 days (not that I was counting). I learned a lot in this experience, but more than anything I learned that there is no such thing as a perfect body, but that yours is perfect for you. I am not saying that I love every inch of my body, I miss my thigh gap and toned abs, but I now have curves that make me feel attractive and like a woman, rather than a skeleton. I am learning to love my body for how it is, flaws and all.

A key to my recovery was to accept the natural me, to embrace the weight I became living the life that I wanted to live. I would rather weigh a little bit more and be able to enjoy the Sunday tradition of waffles for breakfast with my boyfriend, than sit miserably eating an apple, or have a crazy night out with my pals without worrying about the calories in every drink. As part of my challenge to accept me for who I am, I have set myself this task of going makeup free every day in January.

I am now two weeks into my challenge and have already faced some of the things I was most worried about. I had never been on a night out without makeup, and this week I discovered there are some major benefits to hitting the dancefloor make up free. For one, getting ready takes half the time (although at times, the getting ready is one of the best parts of the night) but most importantly, your make up with last the whole night - because you aren't wearing any, You don't need to worry about it getting ruined by some guy tossing drinks at your group. You can simply give him a wee glare and get back on with the dancing. Also, to wake up the next morning without massive panda eyes was a serious benefit, because however well you THINK you've taken off your make up after a night out, it's never enough.Another big challenge for me was going to an interview without a layer of foundation and mascara to hide behind. It's almost a given that we dress ourselves up and present ourselves at our best when going somewhere that makes us nervous. Yet why I thought that urban decays latest products would make me any better suited for a summer internship at an accounting firm, I do not know. I settled for some glasses and a smart blazer instead, and got an extra 10 minutes in bed as a bonus. As well as the extra snoozing time in the morning, I am doing this challenge to show people that we can embrace the natural us, rather than striving to be like the unrealistically perfect, skinny and flaw-free models that we see emblazoned on magazines. It’s okay to go into a club without makeup, you can appear attractive to people as the natural you and a life without panda eyes is a good one.

Halfway through the month and I still get nervous when taking photos next to friends who look beautiful with their long lashes and bronzed cheeks, and I am so aware of my face when filming videos for my blog but slowly I am starting to like my natural look. I care less about what people think, and realised that half the time people don't even notice I'm not wearing any make up, it's only me that cares. I still have challenges to go - a date night with my boyfriend and a family meal (that in my family is an occasion to get dressed up) but I am already starting to feel that this month may just extend into more of a life style, with just the odd special occasion allowing me to crack out the old eyeshadow palette...